That’s Joe Klein’s solution to Helen Thomas and her demand for the ethnic cleansing of Jews from Israel (or as she put it, Palestine):
Thomas is a vestigial member of the White House Correspondents Association, an organization that mostly consists of those who cover the White House on a daily basis; most columnists–people like me, for example–are not members, although a smattering of opinion-mongers, even from obscure publications, have somehow managed to get themselves credentialed over the years. So it’s not unprecedented for journalists with odious views to have access to the press room. What is unprecedented is for such a journalist to have a front-row center seat. Thomas should no longer have that privilege. The front row should be occupied by working reporters, not columnists. The WHCA should sanction Thomas by sending her back to the cheap seats. This would accurately reflect her current status as a journalist while preserving her First Amendment right to be as obnoxious as she wants.
Well, yes, she does have a First Amendment right to be an obnoxious ass – which she has exercised to the max. What she does not have is immunity from the consequences of her freedom to exercise her right.
Klein’s solution – to relegate her to the back of the room and for officials to refuse to acknowledge her questions is simply not enough. She needs to leave – whether by Hearst firing her or by the White House refusing her admission. What she said was ignorant, malicious and anti-Semitic. It was a naked declaration in support of ethnic cleansing.
She needs to go. If she does not, the Obama administration is tacitly approving of her statements.
The White House had better be on the phone to Hearst working out a sudden “retirement” for Thomas. But as inept as they are, I rather doubt they are.
UPDATE: I found this particular post from Klein on the Google News site. I no sooner posted it than up popped this gem from Huffnpuff Post on Memeorandum:
Under fire for controversial remarks she made (and apologized for) about the status of Jews in Israel, longtime White House scribe Helen Thomas was dropped on Sunday by her speaking agency.
That has been a recurring theme from leftist commenters on Klein’s site and many other places. Thomas “apologized” therefore should be forgiven.
Bull. An apology does not unsay the words, does it? Time to go, Helen.
First things first.
Send her back where she came from.
Gotta disagree with you on this one, Gaius. I want that crazy old lady to remain front and central; I want it drilled into American skulls that THAT is what the Beltway crowd has long offered applause and accolations as the pinnacle of their profession.
They have to be made to OWN her.
Err, I think I mashed up “accolades” and “accommodation” up there, in a non-good way.
Helen has been consigned to the dustbin of history by her use of politically incorrect language.
One wonders if it ever occurred to her that that it was possible for the speech police to come after her?
One also wonders how many she has skewered over the years for offensive speech?
Bye-bye Helen, don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.
Imagine a big full color picture of Helen Thomas and Dan Rather, cheek by jowl, with the caption, “The Face of American Professional Journalism.” Yours for only $19.95 + S&H.
That would stop clocks everywhere.